Insider reveals “pieces on the chessboard” that influenced NASCAR’s 2026 track sorting decision

It’s been just over a week since NASCAR released its schedule for the 2026 season. The field is set for the 2025 playoffs, which are about to begin this Sunday, August 31, at Darlington Raceway.

With so much in reserve, there’s no shortage of storylines for the NASCAR aficionados to address. Several tracks have been moved beyond their usual dates, with one of the most notable changes being the regular season race at Watkins Glen International, which is now scheduled for Mother’s Day instead of its traditional August date.

Recently, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic weighed in on the factors that influenced NASCAR’s decision. Bianchi explained,

“Like most everyone. There has been a lot of head-scratching within the garage over NASCAR moving Watkins Glen off its traditional August date to Mother’s Day, considering a race in Upstate New York at that time of year faces an increased possibility of inclement weather.“

NASCAR didn’t want to push Richmond, given that the track just had its first sellout in years, and Iowa needed to be somewhere in the summer due to “sponsorship considerations”. So, pushing Watkins Glen beyond its usual date doesn’t necessarily mean that the sport is losing its fondness for the track.

“That’s a lot of pieces on the chessboard. Add it all up, and Watkins Glen drew the short straw. Here’s hoping the track returns to August in 2027,” Bianchi added.

For now, all eyes are on Darlington Raceway. The iconic egg-shaped oval will host this weekend’s race, the Cook Out Southern 500. Fans can watch the 367-lap event on USA (6 pm ET) or listen to it live on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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NASCAR team taps Dale Jr.’s 19-year-old prodigy as the newest addition to its Cup Series roster

Trackhouse Racing has signed a deal with Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch that will put him behind a Cup car for the 2026 season and beyond. Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., is in his maiden season of full-time racing at the Xfinity level.

Zilisch will replace Daniel Suarez, whose tenure at Trackhouse Racing will end after five seasons driving the team’s No. 99 Chevy Camaro. That being said, Zilisch’s car number, crew chief, and crew lineup are yet to be announced.

“I knew the whole world knew already, but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the word 'Cup Series' is really cool," Zilisch said of the opportunity. "So, I wasn't going to try and hide from it, but it's just a day that I've been dreaming of for a long time and I'm not going to let that kind of the idea that everybody already knows take away from the moment."

Zilisch ranks second in the Xfinity Series driver standings with 863 points to his name. He has won a series-high seven races this year, and bagged 15 top-10s and 13 top-fives. The 19-year-old speedster also earned 5 poles and led 559 laps, with an average finish of 9.13.